Little brand affinity among mobile users
iPhone is only device to attract brand loyalists
Only around 25% of mobile users are loyal to the brand, according to new research.
An international survey by market research company GfK found that 75% of respondents will have no problem changing their mobile operating system the next time they upgrade their phone.
Apple customers were the most loyal with 59% of iPhone users intending to remain with Apple’s iOS operating system. The second most loyal were Blackberry users with 35%, third was Google’s Android at 28%, and fourth was Symbian with 24%.
Surprisingly, given the sudden success of the new Windows Phone 7 operating system, only 21% of those who are already using a Microsoft-powered handset will upgrade to the new OS.
However, other smart phone vendors will need to work overtime to hold the interest of subscribers as 56% are not only undecided but they are also open to buying a different brand altogether when next changing their handset.
The survey found that 37% of cell phone owners in Brazil, Germany, Spain, Britain, the US and China plan on upgrading to a smartphone with their next purchase.
“Loyalty with a handset is a lot more complicated these days in that people buy into experiences at the high-end level,” said GfK analyst Ryan Garner. “If a phone doesn’t do what it says it will do, or what the owner hopes it will do, the maker will lose loyalty.”
The study, which was conducted online between October and November, surveyed 2,653 mobile phone users in the UK, the US, Brazil, Germany, Spain and China.